George's Story - Supporting a child when
a loved one is dying.

In 2023, George lost his Mum, Tresia. His Aunt Sarah, who he now lives with, describes how coming to the Family Support Group gently introduced George to the Hospice and the Family Support Team continue to help George process his grief. 

The Hospice Family Support Group runs drop-in sessions to help adults living with a terminal illness make the most of every moment together with their families. With a focus on fun activities for children and young people, the sessions offer advice and support and provide opportunities for peer support, for the whole family.

Sarah heard about the Family Support Group from George’s mum, who was being supported by the Hospice Community Team at home. “Tresia didn’t feel well enough to go to the sessions, so I took George to the Hospice,” explains Sarah.

“At the sessions, we played games and had fun. There were opportunities to talk about his mum’s illness, but George didn’t want to speak about it. For George it was more about escaping; he played with the toys and ate lots of cake!” Going into the Hospice helped George in a range of ways. By visiting the Hospice, he got used to the building, the people and the atmosphere. At one of the sessions, George had a ‘tour’ of the Hospice. He was shown one of the rooms and could ask questions. Sarah thinks the sessions helped George have a positive association with the Hospice. “It was great for George because he was getting used to the Hospice. We helped him understand his mum would be coming here when she was very ill and that she would have lovely people around her, looking after her. This gave him confidence, so when she was brought in to stay on the Inpatient Unit, it wasn’t scary to come and visit her because this was a place he already knew.”

For Sarah, the group gave her access to the expertise and knowledge of the Family Support Team. They helped her and Tresia understand the importance of telling George about his mum’s terminal illness. Together, they made a plan to tell George and reassure him that he was going to be okay. “The knowledge Vicky from the Family Support Team shared with us gave us the confidence to have this incredibly difficult conversation. Her understanding and insights were incredible. Almost everything that Vicky had told us he might say, he said. And we were prepared. George had the opportunity to tell us how he felt and have some control over the situation. For example, he told us he didn’t want his mum to die at home.”

Now, George is doing really well. There are good days and bad days, but he is very active and involved in sports and has come to his own peace with the situation. “The advice that Vicky gave us at the beginning has put us in a good place. We were honest and open with George about his mum’s treatment, so he knows he can talk about anything, at any time.”